They're Just Dreams
by twisted baroque
Summary: Mizuno Xehanort, adoptive son of Mizuno Saeko, and adoptive brother of Mizuno Ami. He's been having these strange dreams lately...
1. Act I: Reclaiming Something Forgotten

**Act I: Reclaiming Something Forgotten**

A torrent of rain fell from the eternal night sky at a steady pace, soaking the _Dark City_ and a figure dressed in a black hooded coat as he made his way through _Fragment Crossing_, a series of long, winding streets. The figure paused in his walk through the empty city, coming to a stop in front of _Memory's Skyscraper_, as pools of darkness formed abruptly on the surface of the wet asphalt around him. Underneath the figure's hood, his golden eyes narrowed in annoyance as numerous ink-black humanoid figures emerged from the darkness. The ink-black creatures encircled the figure; countless glowing yellow eyes stared unblinkingly at him.

The figure scowled. "Heartless."

He raised his right arm, wisps of black and violet fire concentrating around his hand. "I don't have time for this." The flames briefly grew in intensity, before abruptly dispersing. The figure was temporarily stunned, before his shock quickly turned into irritation. He gritted his teeth, his hands tightening into fists.

"To be unable to summon _it_ now of all times," the figure muttered, pale blue lightning crackling around his clenched hands. At his mental command, luminescent blades of electric blue energy burst into existence in the figure's hands. Tensing his legs, the figure lunged at the nearest _Heartless_, impaling it with a blade of blue energy. The creature burst into wisps of liquid darkness, and the figure turned to face the remaining Heartless.

At the demise of their kin, several Heartless leapt into the air, their clawed hands reaching for the figure. The figure's electric blue blades cut through the air, vanquishing the airborne Heartless. He continued to dispatch the ink-black creatures that surrounded him, evading the grasp of the creatures' clawed hands, unaware of the darkness coalescing beneath him.

As the figure eliminated the last remaining Heartless, the accumulated darkness spilled forth from beneath him. Caught off guard, the figure fell through the unpredictable _Corridor of Darkness_.

**χ**

_He was standing atop a flight of stairs near a waterway, surveying the grey-haired boy dressed in white that stood at the bottom. He deliberately placed a boot-clad foot on the black stuffed cat doll in front of him._

_He kicked the stuffed doll down the flight of stairs. "How did you get here?"_

_"Who are you," the grey-haired boy demanded, pausing as the stuffed doll hit him in the chest and fell to the ground._

_"By choice or chance," he spoke as descended down the stairs, "you cannot control what you're not aware of."_

_The grey-haired boy stepped backwards as he moved towards him. "This wakeless sleep will be your prison," he continued, "to wander forever."_

_The boy lowered his gaze to the floor. "What do you mean?"_

_He said nothing, removing the hood of his coat to reveal silver hair and golden eyes._

_The boy in white lifted his gaze from the floor, glancing at him warily. "All right. Who are you," the grey-haired boy demanded a second time._

_He remained silent. He raised both of his arms above his head and summoned a large multi-colored fiend. The summoning completed, he retreated into a portal of darkness and disappeared._

**χ**

A ray of sunlight streamed through partially closed curtains, warming the tanned face of the silver-haired youth lying in bed. Eyelids fluttered, opening slowly to reveal golden irises. Blinking lazily, the youth sat up and threw the bed covers off of his body. He lifted his hand, staring at it, contemplating what he had seen.

He spoke quietly to himself, "Another strange dream."

A knock at the door alerted him to the presence of another person. "Nii-san." The soft feminine voice that drifted past the door was accompanied by a second knock. "Xehanort-nii-san. If you don't get up soon, we're going to be late for school."

He remained silent for a brief moment before replying. "I know Ami. I'll be out in a minute." The sound of slippers shuffling away told him she had heard his response.

He maneuvered his legs over the side of his bed and stood, stepping towards his closet. Discarding his sleeping clothes on the bed, he opened his closet and threw on his black school uniform, briefly eyeing the black hooded coat hanging at the back. Closing the closet door, he took a long look at the _Juuban District_ through his window.

"This world," he mused, "is just too small."

**χ**

A blue-haired girl sat at the kitchen table, slowly eating as she read the textbook in front of her. She looked up from her book as Xehanort entered the kitchen, recognizing the tired expression on his face. "Did you have another one of your strange dreams, nii-san?"

"I did," he confirmed, sliding into the chair across from her. "It was just like the others. I was older, wearing the black coat that's in my closet, and talking to people I don't even recognize." He took a slice of toast from the plate he slid towards him. "Ami, do you think that it's possible that the dreams are more than just dreams?"

"What do you think they are?" she asked.

"They seem more like memories." He held up a hand in an attempt to forestall his sister's response. "I know it sounds far-fetched."

"Nii-san, that's impossible," Ami reasoned, "you said it yourself. You were older in your dreams, but you're only fourteen now."

"I know, I know," he sighed. "Besides, I'm quite sure that none of the locations in my dreams even exist." He ate slowly, his eyes drifting to their mother's daily message scrawled on the whiteboard in the kitchen. Their mother's occupation as a doctor took up much of her time, her daily whiteboard messages were often the only means of communication between her and her children.

Glancing up at the clock that hung on the kitchen wall, Ami stood and gathered her belongings. "We should get going," she said, "our mock exam results are being posted today."

He stood as well and slung his school bag over his shoulder. "I don't see why you even bother looking at the exam scores," he said, following his sister out of the condo that they lived in with their mother. "You and I both know you received perfect marks in all your subjects."

She turned around. "If you actually tried, you could receive perfect marks as well," she chided, "instead of ranking thirteenth at our school."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I'll pass. For some reason, I find myself drawn to the number thirteen." He smirked at her. "I leave the number one spot to you, imouto-sama."

**χ**

School, Xehanort had decided a long time ago, was a complete waste of time. None of the subjects that were taught had ever managed to catch his interest, and none of the students that attended _Juuban Municipal Junior High_ had ever proved themselves to be worth his time, save of course, his sister. Much of his time at school was spent either absently listening to the lectures of his teachers or with his sister during their free time, something he was currently doing. Standing behind her, he half-heartedly scanned near the top of the list of results for their names.

Spotting what he had been looking for, he looked at Ami out of the corner of his eye. "As expected of imouto-sama," he said airily, "the position of number one goes to you."

"And as expected of nii-san," she riposted, "you ranked thirteenth."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Having accomplished what they had set out to do, they navigated through the sea of students anxious to see their results, ignoring the whispers of their fellow students as they made their way to the school entrance.

"Hey, have you seen the scores of the mock exam yet?"

"I just did! The genius girl from Class-5, Mizuno Ami, got the top spot!"

"They say her IQ is 300! She can't be human!"

As they passed underneath the trees in front of the school entrance, a black cat fell from the branches above them, plummeting towards Ami. Before it could collide with his sister's head, his hands shot out and seized the feline.

"Oh," Ami let out a shaky breath, "that surprised me." She inspected the cat held in her brother's hands. "It looks so soft," she murmured.

"I don't think our apartment building allows pets." He raised the cat up to eye level. "It's got a strange mark on its forehead. It almost looks like a crescent moon."

The cat's head turned, noticing something behind him, and sprang out of his hands into the arms of a twin-ponytailed blonde girl. "I'm sorry," the blonde girl apologized as she walked towards them. "Did she hurt you?"

"It's fine," Ami assured the girl, "nii-san caught her before anything could happen."

"Your nii-san?" The blonde girl looked at him curiously. "But you two don't look anything alike."

"I'm adopted," he said tersely.

"Ah, I didn't mean to pry," the girl said nervously, rubbing the back of her head. She turned to his sister, regaining some of her previous demeanor. "You're Mizuno Ami-san from Class-5, right?" Ami nodded in confirmation, and the blonde girl turned to face him. "And your name is?"

"Mizuno Xehanort, from Class-3."

The blonde girl pointed at herself. "I'm Tsukino Usagi from Class-1, and this cat's name is Luna." She paused, before tentatively asking, "Um, have you two ever gone to the arcade?"

**χ**

She had brought the two siblings to _Game Crown Center_, an arcade near their school. Usagi motioned towards a coin operating game machine depicting a masked girl firing a gun at bipedal monstrosities. "This is the _Sailor V_ game. It's really hard to beat!" She inserted a 100-yen coin and proceeded to illustrate her point, losing multiple times in quick succession. Running out of 100-yen coins, she turned to the two siblings. "Hey, do either of you want to try? It's neat!"

Ami looked at her brother. "Nii-san, do you want to try?"

"Whatever." Xehanort pushed off the wall he had been leaning against and took a seat on the stool Usagi had vacated. He inserted a 100-yen coin and waited for the game to start.

Minutes passed. His eyes never left the monitor as his hands furiously pressed the buttons on the arcade cabinet. He focused entirely on playing the arcade game, unaware of the small crowd of people forming behind him. "Damn." He made a single mistake, and the name entry prompt on the high score screen marked the end of his game.

"The highest score," an onlooker exclaimed, "no way!"

"Amazing," Usagi squealed, "Mizuno-san, you're so cool!"

A clattering sound coming from the bottom of the arcade machine caught his attention. He reached into the machine's prize dispenser and withdrew an expensive looking pen. "I got a prize," he muttered. Standing up, he walked over to Ami and placed the pen in her hand. "Here, you can have it."

A blush spread over her cheeks. "Nii-san…"

"That's so neat," Usagi exclaimed, as she admired the pen in Ami's hand. "I'm so jealous. I want one too!" The blonde girl stalked towards the arcade machine and began striking it with her fists. "There's got to be another one in there!"

She continued her assault on the machine, and her efforts were rewarded with a second expensive-looking pen tumbling out of the arcade machine's prize dispenser. "I got one too!" Usagi held the pen up triumphantly. "So cool!"

He smirked at the girl's antics, his sister laughing softly. "You're a funny person, Tsukino-san," she said in an amused tone.

"Call me Usagi," the blonde girl returned, turning around. "Is it okay if I call you Ami-chan?"

Ami smiled. "Yeah."

Usagi turned to him. "Is it okay if I call you Xehanort-kun?"

He shrugged. "Do as you please." He glanced up at the clock on the wall of the arcade and turned to his sister. "It's time, Ami."

"It's that time already?" She looked up at the clock. "I have to get to cram school."

"Oh, you have cram school today," Usagi inquired, "it's the one near here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ami nodded, "I go several times a week. I want to become a doctor, like our mother." She turned to him. "I'll see you back at the condo, alright?" With a parting wave, she left the arcade, its glass doors sliding closed behind her.

"Ah, you don't go to cram school like Ami-chan?" Usagi asked him.

He shook his head. "No, I didn't see any point in going. I met the woman that runs the cram school," he paused, "and I got the feeling that something was off about her."

**χ**

_This dream was different from the others. He was falling, falling through water as if it were air, descending towards a stained glass pillar that rose out of an endless black void. As he neared the surface of the _Station of Serenity_, his descent slowed and he rotated his body, landing on his feet. He slowly turned in a circle and looked around, but his eyes couldn't pierce the surrounding blackness._

_A voice drifted through the darkness. "So much to do, so little time."_

_He spun around, trying to see where the voice had come from. "Who's there?"_

_"As you are right now," the voice continued, "you understand so little."_

_He scoffed. "If I don't understand something, then explain it to me."_

_"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing." The voice continued speaking, "Power sleeps within you. If you give it form, it will give it strength." The voice in the darkness paused. "But you've lost sight of the light within the darkness of your heart. And it seems that you've forgotten that you forgot."_

_"I've forgotten? Tell me what it is I've forgotten," he demanded. He felt himself being scrutinized by the voice._

_"It appears your power is made of both light and dark," the voice said appraisingly, ignoring his demands. "Will you take the road to light – or the road to darkness?"_

_Before he could answer the question, the voice continued to speak. "Choose wisely."_

_As the voice finished speaking, three white stone pedestals rose from the stained glass floor. A flash of white light heralded the appearance of three weapons: a sword, a shield, and a staff, each materializing above a stone pedestal. He got the impression that the voice wouldn't speak further, so he stepped towards the pedestal that held the sword. Coming to a stop in front of the pedestal, he reached out with his right hand and grasped the sword's hilt, pulling it closer._

_"The power of the warrior. Invincible courage." The voice spoke again. "A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?"_

_He nodded his head, the sword in his hand bursting into motes of light and disappeared, momentarily startling him._

_"Now," the voice asked, "what will you give up in exchange?"_

_He turned around and approached the pedestal that held the staff. Grasping it with both hands, he drew it towards him._

_The voice spoke once again. "The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. You give up this power?"_

_"Yeah." The staff in his hands, like the sword, burst into motes of light and disappeared._

_"You've chosen the power of the warrior. You've given up the power of the mystic." As the voice spoke, the stone pedestals shuddered and sank into the stained glass floor, disappearing completely._

_In a flare of black and violet fire, a black key-shaped sword manifested itself in his hand. The sword's teeth formed a facsimile of the _kanji _for darkness, and two bat-like wings comprised the sword's hilt guard. A black crown hung from the base of the weapon, attached by a black chain._

_"You've gained the power to fight," the voice commented. "Use this power to protect yourself and others. There will be time you will have to fight. Keep the light in your heart burning strong."_

_He heard the sound of glass shattering. The stained glass platform he stood upon began to fragment, and he was falling once more, into the black void the pillar had risen out of. As he fell, he heard the voice speak one last time._

_"Don't be afraid. And don't forget. You hold the mightiest weapon of all."_

_And darkness engulfed him._

**χ**

Xehanort sat at his school desk resting his chin in his hand, absently listening to the teacher as he continued his lecture. As he stared out the classroom window, his mind turned to the dream from last night. "The power to fight," he mused, quietly repeating the voice's words. The sound of the three o' clock chime interrupted his thoughts; he stood and swiftly left the classroom in search of his sister.

He wandered down the corridor and caught sight of his sister and Usagi in the school's computer room. He arrived just as Ami finished her conversation with the blonde girl, brushing past him without a word on her way out of the room. The disappointed look on Usagi's face vanished when she caught sight of him standing near the door, her facial expression becoming more energetic.

"Ah, Xehanort-kun, Ami just gave me the cold shoulder," she whined, walking towards him. "She's working too hard."

He shrugged. "She's got to study hard if she wants to become a doctor."

"Hey," she looked at him, a hopeful expression on her face, "want to go get some ice cream?"

He nodded in acquiescence. "I've got time." He noticed a compact disc lying on the table near one of the computers. He picked it up off the table. "What's this?"

Usagi eyed the disc in his hand. "Did Ami-chan drop it?"

He placed the disc in his school bag. "I'll just give it back to her later."

**χ**

They left the school building, Usagi carrying her cat Luna in her arms. Nearing the school gates, they noticed a woman dressed in a business suit handing out flyers to students as they left the school premises.

"Now is the time to enroll with no fee," the woman called out. "You too can quickly reach your potential!"

Usagi took a flyer as they passed by the woman, stopping to examine it. "It's Ami-chan on the cram school flyer," she exclaimed. "Brand new," she read out loud, "with the crystal disc, you too can become a genius."

"Your grades will steadily rise," Xehanort finished. He reached into his school bag and took out the compact disc he had found in the computer room. "Is this the crystal disc the flyer is talking about? What's so special about this?"

Luna eyed the crystal disc and leapt out of Usagi's arms, snatching the disc out of his hand and running back into the school building.

"Ah, Luna!" Usagi raced after her cat, shouting apologies over her shoulder.

**χ**

Xehanort stared at the blonde girl's retreating figure, his bored expression masking his irritation. He bent down and picked up the cram school flyer that Usagi had dropped in her pursuit. "Crystal Seminar, huh," he muttered. He clenched his hand, crumpling the flyer, and headed to the cram school's address.

He arrived at the cram school building, just as a blonde blur shot past him and into the building. Moments later, the building's windows exploded outwards. Shards of glass rained down on the concrete below.

"Damn it." He swore, and ran through the entrance of the building.

**χ**

The _youma_ Gaboren tightened the arm she had around Ami's neck. "Why aren't you brainwashed," she demanded. Her human guise faltered, her facial features twisted, becoming more inhuman. "Are you slacking off from studying from the disc?"

"I can't breathe," Ami choked, the arm around her neck tightening further.

A young man's voice came from the doorway of the destroyed room. "So, this is what the voice meant by having to fight."

The youma turned her head towards the entrance of the room, just as a fist wreathed in black and violet fire connected with her face. The force of the blow sent her sprawling to the floor, forcing her to relinquish her hold on Ami's neck.

Ami clutched her throat, coughing, her breathing labored. Turning to the person who had rescued her, a surprised expression covered her face. "Nii-san!"

**χ**

Garoben scrambled to her feet. "Who the hell are you," she snarled.

Darkness began to emanate from Xehanort's body. "My name is Mizuno Xehanort," he said coldly, the black and violet flames that covered his right hand intensifying. He stepped protectively in front of his sister, pushing her behind his back with his left hand. In a flash of black and violet fire, the black key-shaped blade, the one from last night's dream, manifested itself in his hand. "You'll pay for hurting my sister, monster."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Usagi, clothed in a navy blue sailor suit, and Luna.

The nails of the youma's hand extended, glinting menacing. "I'm going to chop you into tiny pieces," she said, chuckling darkly.

"You can try."

The two lunged at each other, the flat of Xehanort's blade stopping Garoben's claws.

As the two clashed, Luna scampered to Ami's side. "Ami-chan, the pen," she urged, "use the pen!"

Ami reacted instinctively, reaching for the expensive-looking pen in her shirt pocket. The instant her hand made contact with the pen, a soft glow began to emanate from it, the astronomical symbol of the planet Mercury appearing on her forehead. A fog poured into the room from seemingly out of nowhere, obscuring everyone's vision.

"What the hell," the youma groaned, "my body… is becoming… cold…"

"It's over." His black blade cut through the air, splitting Gaboren's body in two. The two pieces fell to the floor, disintegrating into dust and disappearing, her business suit the only proof that she had ever existed.

**χ**

The fog that covered the room dispersed, and revealed a crouching blue sailor suit clad Ami.

"Ami-chan," Usagi gasped, noticing the blue-haired girl's attire.

"Just as I thought," Luna declared, "with that intelligence, you're our 'brain.' The _senshi_ of water and intelligence, Mercury's protector has awakened. Sailor Mercury, we've been searching for you!"

A hand entered Ami's field of vision, she glanced up to see her brother holding out a hand. He said nothing as he helped her to her feet.

"Sailor Mercury," she said hesitantly, "I'm a senshi?"

"Ami-chan is one of my allies?" Usagi clasped her hands underneath her chin, an excited expression on her face. "No way. This is awesome!"

Luna turned to Xehanort, eyeing the black key-shaped blade in his hand. "That weapon you hold," she said warily, "I can sense darkness emanating from it. Who are you?"

He was silent for a moment, his gaze turning to his sister. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I'm what's left. Or, maybe I'm all there ever was."


	2. Act II: Learning More

**Act II: Learning More**

_He was dreaming again._

_He was inside of a cathedral, walking towards a brown-haired boy dressed in red. "Hypocrite," he called out, coming to a stop, "you are the one who has made your heart a prison."_

_"You again." The boy turned around and ran towards him, stepping only meters away. "What are you talking about?"_

_He continued to speak, as if he hadn't heard the brown-haired boy, "Even if you are not the prisoner."_

_The boy in red paused, taken aback by his remark. "Huh?"_

_He gave the boy one final glance, before he turned and walked through the portal of darkness that he willed into existence, disappearing._

**χ**

"I still can't believe it," Ami said quietly. "Usagi and I are senshi of justice and have mysterious powers, and nii-san has powers of his own."

She and her brother had congregated at Game Crown Center after their school day had ended, as per Luna's instructions. Nearby, Usagi occupied herself with the Sailor V game machine as they conversed with the black cat.

"You've only just awakened," Luna said encouragingly. "I'm sure that soon you will understand everything."

"What I want to know," her brother interjected, "is what it is senshi are supposed to do."

Luna gave him a sidelong glance, considering her words carefully. "We will protect the princess and the holy stone," the cat explained, "the _Maboroshi no Ginzuishou_."

"And what exactly is the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou?" Xehanort asked.

Before Luna could reply, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Usagi cheering loudly. "I cleared Level Two," she shouted excitedly. Her celebrating was cut short by the sound of clattering coming from the bottom of the arcade machine in front of her. She reached into the machine's prize dispenser and withdrew a trio of expensive-looking wristwatches. "Prizes came out of the machine again," she cheered, turning to show the wristwatches to the siblings. "One for each of us!"

"Oh, these will be perfect," Luna said, snatching the wristwatches out of Usagi's hands before she could hand them over to Ami and Xehanort. "With a few modifications, we can use these for communication."

The male Mizuno grimaced upon seeing the wristwatches. "I'd prefer it if you could modify mine into something suitable for men," he muttered. He glanced up at the arcade's clock. "Ami, it's already five."

His sister looked up at the clock, her eyes widening in alarm. "Ah, I have cram school today!"

**χ**

The quartet stood by the bus stop outside of the arcade building, waiting for the bus that would take them to their intended destinations.

"Oh, that's right," Ami commented, "there's a rumor that if we go to the bus stop around this time, an extremely beautiful person might show up."

Xehanort peered at the designated terminus station displayed on the front of the bus as the vehicle neared their stop. "_Sendai Hill_," he said thoughtfully. "I've heard some rumors about that place."

"I've heard some rumors too," their blonde companion chipped in, "apparently, people who take the six o' clock bus to Sendai Hill go missing!"

The bus came to a stop in front of the quartet, its doors sliding open.

"It's just a rumor," he said dismissively, boarding the bus.

**χ**

"Well," Xehanort mused, "there may be some truth to the rumors we've heard." He pointed discreetly towards a girl with long black hair standing behind them. "That girl wearing the _T.A. Private Girl's School_ uniform, she's certainly beautiful."

Ami opened her mouth, about to scold her brother for staring at the girl, when she noticed the location the bus had come to a stop at. She walked to the front of the bus and turned around to face Usagi and her brother. "Nii-san, Usagi-chan, I'll be getting off here."

He nodded. "I'll see you back at the condo."

The blonde girl didn't reply, so mesmerized was she by the black-haired girl's attractive appearance. Ami shook her head, an amused expression on her face, and disembarked from the bus.

The remaining three continued their commute as the bus resumed driving along its predetermined route. The bus decelerated as it neared its next stop. "Next stop is Sendai Hill, _Hikawa Shrine_," the bus driver droned into the vehicle's public address system.

**χ**

"Why are we doing this?" he muttered exasperatedly.

The trio had disembarked from the bus at the Sendai Hill stop, each with their own motivations for doing so.

"She's so pretty, Xehanort-kun," Usagi murmured dreamily, "what's the problem?" She snapped out of her daze the moment she noticed that the black-haired girl she had been pursuing had disappeared. "Ah, she's gone!" The blonde girl turned around and slapped him lightly on the arm. "It's all your fault, Xehanort-kun."

"Now, now," Luna said placatingly, "she's probably at the shrine, don't you think?"

He sighed, and the two made their way up the hill towards the shrine, Luna following alongside them. As the trio neared the _torii_ of the shrine, a pair of crows descended from the sky and proceeded to attack him.

"The hell," he shouted, lashing out with his arms in an attempt to ward off the birds.

"Ah, Xehanort-kun!"

The shrine's _shoji_ doors slid open, the black-haired girl that they had been following emerging, clothed in the attire of a shrine maiden. She ran towards them, slipping her hand into the sleeve of her _haori_ and pulling out a paper _ofuda_.

"Akuryou taisan," the black-haired girl shouted, throwing the paper charm at Xehanort.

He seized the ofuda before it struck him, his other hand continuing to ward off the pair of crows. "What the-?"

"H-huh?" the black-haired girl stammered. "A boy?"

**χ**

"I'm sorry," the black-haired girl apologized, bowing her head. "Xehanort-san, was it? I was mistaken. I thought for sure I had felt an evil aura."

Xehanort looked downward at his hand. "An evil aura?" he muttered.

The black-haired girl held out her hand, the two crows alighting on her outstretched limb. "Phobos and Deimos don't usually attack people," she said, stroking one of the crows on her arm.

"Ha ha," Usagi laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head, "I'm sure that Xehanort-kun forgives you." She turned to him, whispering, "You do, right? She's so pretty."

"Beauty isn't reason enough to forgive a person," he muttered.

The voice of a woman praying by the shrine caught the trio's attention. They turned their gazes towards the shrine building and caught sight of two women dressed in business suits, their hands clasped together.

"I pray for my Mii to come home," one of the women pleaded.

The black-haired miko approached the praying women. "Miss," she called out to the woman who had spoken, "did something happen to Mii-chan?"

"Ah, Rei-chan," the woman turned to face the black-haired girl, a distraught expression on her face. "I can't believe the news," she cried, "Mii's missing!" She continued to speak, "Aren't there rumors going around about the '_Devil's Six o' Clock Bus_'? Mii was here before she got on the bus. Those weird rumors about the dangerous kidnappings…" She smiled awkwardly. "I'm uneasy, but it's really nothing," she said, waving off her concerns, "there's no way your shrine could be dangerous."

Turning around, the woman left the shrine with her friend.

"What the heck? The color of that miko's face changed," the friend whispered as they left.

"Hino-san's grandfather and Rei-chan are always doing these strange chants," the woman whispered back, "she also keeps crows. It's like she has a sixth sense or something."

Rei turned to Usagi and Xehanort as the two women left. "Sendai Hill is the intersection of five roads," she told them, "it's an unusual place. But actually, in the past there was an illusionary sixth road on the hill. That's how the legend goes. The 'Devil's Six o' Clock Bus' disappears on that illusionary sixth road on the hill. Do either of you know what that's called?"

Rei walked back towards the shrine, pausing for a brief moment. She looked over her shoulder at them. "It's called being spirited away."

**χ**

He sat at his school desk, leaning against the back rest of his chair. As he waited for his homeroom teacher to arrive, he paid attention to his classmates' conversations.

"Hey, have you seen the news," one of his classmates asked another. "A seventh grader got kidnapped on the eighth! She rode the bus while leaving school!"

"I heard that ten girls have been kidnapped from _Ichinohashi Middle School_!"

"No way," another student exclaimed.

"Hey, it's got to be the 'Devil's Six o' Clock Bus'!"

"She disappeared at Sendai Hill!"

The teacher slid the classroom door open and walked into the room. "Quiet," she shouted over the voices of his classmates, approaching her podium at the front of the room. "Lately, the disappearances are the latest news. Please be careful!"

His mind turned to the conversation he and Usagi had with Hino Rei. "Spirited away, huh," he mused.

**χ**

On his way out of the school building, he caught sight of Usagi and her cat Luna. He approached the two, catching the tail end of their conversation.

"How suspicious," Luna whispered to Usagi from her place in the girl's arms. "Smells like the enemy." She pondered something for a moment, before looking up at the girl. "Hey, Usagi-chan. We better go investigate Sendai Hill. Don't you want to see Rei-chan again?"

"If she really does have powers, maybe she's our ally." Usagi's face turned thoughtful. "We might have to consider her as an enemy as well."

"Then maybe," he cut into their conversation, "I should come with you two, to keep you out of trouble."

"Ah, Xehanort-kun!"

Luna eyed him warily for a moment before something else caught her attention. "The bus is here."

Usagi cringed. "Eh? I don't want to get on the bus," she complained.

Xehanort sighed. He pulled her by the arm and they boarded the bus, making their way to the back of the bus.

"Why's it my responsibility to do this," she whined.

"Because Ami has cram school," he answered in a deadpan tone, "and we have the time."

"It's okay," her cat reassured her, "it's only five. We'll be able to contact Ami-chan with the communicators anytime, anyway."

**χ**

The trio ascended the stairs of the shrine after disembarking from the bus. As they drew closer to the shrine building, they caught sight of a group of adults speaking with Rei.

"So like we said," the woman they had seen pleading for the return of her daughter said, "we'd like for you to use your sixth sense to find our daughters."

"A sixth sense," Rei began hesitantly, "it can't find specific places. It's not certain enough where they could be." Her expression turned apologetic. "You should leave this to the police."

Varied looks of shock and anger appeared on the faces of the gathered adults.

The facial expression of the woman who had spoken grew dark. "At a time like this," she hissed, "you can't show common courtesy? After all the trouble it took to come here."

The woman's tone and expression turned angry. "I don't see your grandfather around," she said accusingly, "and surprisingly enough, your family does strange prayers. Were you the ones who caused our daughters to disappear?"

At the woman's accusations a hurt expression flashed across Rei's face.

Xehanort scowled, disgusted by the adults' actions. Unable to tolerate their behavior, he stepped towards them, Usagi pulling on the sleeve of his uniform in an attempt to hold him back.

"How pathetic," he called out, the adults turning around at the sound of his voice. "You can't find your daughters, so you shift the blame to a girl that supposedly has 'powers'? How foolish. Your daughters would be ashamed of your behavior."

Usagi stood on the tips of her toes and whispered into his ear. "But Rei might actually have powers."

He bent his head downward. "I know," he replied quietly, "but they don't need to hear that right now."

Rei schooled her hurt expression into one more severe. "G-go home," she said in an attempt to appear stern, traces of pain lingering in her voice.

The adults muttered angrily between themselves, but acquiesced to Rei's demand. They stormed down the shrine's stairs, glaring at him as they passed by.

Rei gave the two a brief nod of appreciation, before she turned around and swept back into the shrine building.

"Poor Rei-chan," Usagi said sadly.

"Let's go." He turned and began walking towards the shrine's stairs, his blonde companion following behind him. "We'll investigate Sendai Hill tomorrow."

"I can't understand the motive of the enemy," Luna stated from her place in Usagi's arms. "If this is the enemy, they must be searching for the _Silver Crystal_. However, I can't read their actions."

"How does kidnapping children lead to finding the Silver Crystal," he mused.

**χ**

"It's only six," Usagi muttered, checking the time displayed on her wristwatch.

The sound of a vehicle approaching from behind them caught the trio's attention.

"Usagi-chan, Xehanort-kun," Luna shouted, "the bus!" She drew their attention to the bus's electronic display. "It's strange, the next stop is flashing red!"

As the bus drove past, they caught sight of Rei, unconscious in one of the bus's seats. The bus continued on its route, driving towards a dimensional tear that formed abruptly on the surface of the wall in front of the vehicle.

"Is that the 'Devil's Six o' Clock Bus'? We have to save Rei-chan," the blonde girl cried. She reached into her skirt pocket and withdrew her transformation pen. "Moon power," she shouted, throwing her pen into the air, "change into a stewardess!" In a flare of blinding white light, her school uniform shifted into the attire of a stewardess.

"Why a stewardess," her cat muttered exasperatedly.

"It doesn't matter," Xehanort shouted, running after the bus. "Be serious!"

Running alongside the bus, he and Usagi leapt at the vehicle. They grabbed hold of an open window, Luna attached to Usagi's leg. The blonde girl's kicking dislodged Luna's hold on her leg and the cat fell to the paved road.

Luna could only watch as the bus, along with Xehanort and Usagi, drove into the dimensional tear and vanished, the tear disappearing. She turned and raced off in the direction of Ami's cram school.

**χ**

Ami was packing her belongings when her wristwatch began to blare, startling her. Looking up, she caught sight of Luna near the entrance of the empty classroom and ran towards her. "Luna?"

"Usagi-chan and Xehanort-kun," Luna cried, "they're stuck on the 'Devil's Six o' Clock Bus'!" At the cat's urging, the blue-haired girl retrieved her computer from her school bag. "I'm so glad I gave those two communicators," Luna muttered under her breath. "I hope we'll be able to track them."

Ami opened her computer, the screen popping up from computer's base. "The monitor," Ami gasped, "a sensor popped out!" She observed the small tracking device's movements. "Their location is below?"

"Please reply," Usagi's voice emanated from the computer's speakers, "Luna! Luna!"

Her voice was immediately followed by Xehanort's. "Are these things even working?"

"Nii-san?" Ami leaned in closer to the computer's built-in microphone. "Usagi-chan? Where are you two?"

**χ**

"Ami-chan," Usagi spoke into her wristwatch communicator, "what should we do? We went through the hole and now we're in this stone castle-like place." Her voice took on an embarrassed tone. "We lost sight of the bus."

Xehanort spoke into his own wristwatch communicator. "Luna, what do you want us to do?"

"Usagi-chan, transform," Luna replied, "Xehanort-kun, use your black key. Rescue everyone!"

"Right." He held out his right hand, and his blade manifested itself in his grasp in a flare of black and violet fire.

**χ**

"Luna!" Ami's head snapped towards the black cat. "Transport me to their location," she demanded. "We can use the power from my transformation."

"Got it." Luna produced a transformation pen, nudging it towards her.

Taking hold of the transformation pen, she threw her own into the air with a shout of "Mercury power, make up!"

**χ**

Usagi cast her transformation pen into the air. "Moon prism power," she chanted, "make up!" Her body was surrounded by a brilliant white light, her clothes transforming from her stewardess outfit into a navy blue sailor suit.

A second flare of blinding white light heralded the appearance of Ami, dressed in a blue sailor suit of identical design.

"Ami!"

"Ami-chan!"

A man's voice came from behind Xehanort and Usagi. "So you did come, Sailor Moon."

Ami flung out her arm, pointing behind the two. "Behind you," she shouted.

The two spun around, their gazes landing on blonde-haired man clad in a grey uniform with red trim.

Before they could move towards the man, he pulled a familiar black-haired girl towards him, his arm around her neck. "Lookie here," he said mockingly.

Hefting his black key, Xehanort fell into a combat stance.

"Release Rei-chan," Usagi shouted. "For locking up such pure people here, I can't forgive you! I'm Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, you're going to be punished!"

Ami swung her right arm forward, bracing it with her left arm. "Mercury Aqua Mist!" A thick fog enshrouded the area, pouring in seemingly from nowhere. "Nii-san, Usagi-chan, while the mist is thick, go save Rei-chan!"

He ran at the blonde-haired man, Usagi right behind him.

The man chuckled. "How naïve." He gestured with his left hand, the mist dissipating and solidifying into shards of ice that fell to the ground.

"The mist," Xehanort muttered, coming to a halt, "it's going away."

"It's turning into useless pebbles of ice," Usagi cried, her eyes filling with tears. "I-I knew it would be useless, Luna!"

"Don't cry," Luna shouted over the communicator, "if you cry and emit supersonic waves, the world you're in will become unstable! Then you surely can't rescue everyone. Attack with your tiara, Usagi-chan!"

She swallowed heavily and pulled the tiara she wore off her forehead. The tiara transforming into a metal disk in her hand, she threw it at the blonde-haired man. "Moon Tiara Boomerang!"

The man scoffed. "Hmph, this thing." He snatched the altered tiara out of the air before it could make contact with him. To his surprise, the moment his hand made contact with the altered tiara, the metal disk wrapped itself around him, binding his arms to his sides and forcing him to release his hold on Rei. He narrowed his eyes in anger, his blue irises beginning to glow.

An invisible, telekinetic force crashed into Ami, Usagi, and Xehanort, sending the trio hurtling backwards.

Xehanort flung out his left arm, his palm facing behind him. "Guard," he shouted, a pale blue rectangular barrier forming behind them. Their bodies struck the barrier and the trio fell to the ground, each letting out a pained grunt.

Luna's voice emanated once more from their communicators. "Ami-chan, the pen I gave you," she shouted, "everything depends on it!"

Reaching into her skirt pocket, Ami withdrew the transformation pen Luna had given to her and threw it towards Rei. As the pen neared the black-haired girl, it began to emit a soft glow, her forehead bearing the astrological symbol of the planet Mars. A brilliant white light covered her body, her shrine maiden attire shifting into a red sailor suit.

"Phobos, Deimos," Rei shouted, summoning her pet crows to her side. She thrust out a hand, her palm facing the bound blonde-haired man. "Akuryou taisan!"

Flames engulfed the man's body, reducing him to a charred corpse.

**χ**

"What happened just now?" Rei asked, examining her outfit. "These clothes..?"

With the death of the blonde-haired man, the dimension they had been trapped in had crumbled, merging with the real world. The kidnapped children had been recovered, none of them having any recollection of what had transpired.

"With the protection of Mars," Luna declared, "the senshi of flame and passion, Sailor Mars! You're also a chosen senshi."

"A senshi," Rei repeated.

"Another one," Xehanort muttered, dismissing his blade in a flare of black and violet fire.

"We're allies now Rei-chan," Usagi said happily.

"It looks like you're one of the senshi we've been looking for," his sister chimed in.

Luna leapt into Usagi's arms. "I'm so happy that we've found you, Sailor Mars."

"I've had powers other people don't have," Rei muttered, "because I'm a senshi?"

He turned, staring at the setting sun. "Who knows," he said quietly.


End file.
